1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the container art, and in particular, the invention relates to a disposable single-service cup dispenser carton.
2. Description of the Prior Art
According to conventional practice, disposable plastic or wax coated paper containers such as drinking cups are arranged in a nested stack and are enclosed within a disposable shipping carton. In the construction of such shipping cartons, it is desirable to provide an enclosure which permits the nested cups to be transported without damaging during ordinary handling and which provides a sanitary covering for the cups during storage. For certain applications, it is also desirable to equip the shipping carton with a dispensing opening so that the cups may be withdrawn one by one as required while providing a sanitary storage enclosure for the remaining cups.
The provision of a shipping carton which can also function as a single-service dispenser offers a competitive advantage over the prior art single function shipping cartons. Examples of prior art carton structures having a single-service dispensing opening may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,633,983 to Dawson et al; 2,325,277 to Rothe et al; 2,991,910 to Coe; 3,121,511 to Whitehead; 3,155,276 to Williamson et al; and, 3,246,800 to Stone.